Hook-A-Gate Nursery & Pre-School

Hook-A-Gate Nursery is located in a small village just outside of Shrewsbury, mis is surrounded by beautiful countryside. We really do have the best of both worlds when it comes to location as we are only a 10 minute drive away from town centre and surrounding areas.

Hillside House Nursery is a Pre-school and Nursery offering a comprehensive and exciting curriculum for young children from birth to five years of age. We are open 51 weeks of the year and our operating times are Monday to Friday from 7:50am to 6.00pm.

In setting up Hillside House Nursery we have considered what we would want for our own children. We would all wish for our children to be happy, fit and healthy, confident and secure, sociable, kind and caring to others, independent with a clear idea of right and wrong, eager to learn and a big sense of fun.

Whilst you as a parent are the major role models in your children's lives, we will do as much as we can whilst they are in our care to encourage all of these attributes. Everything we have and do will go towards helping to achieve this.

Hook-A-Gate Nursery and Pre-School

Nursery Staff

All of our Nursery Staff are well qualified and will continue to enhance their qualifications whilst they are with us by attending suitable training courses. Two members of staff are qualified to degree level in child related subjects and we have an ongoing graduate opportunity for our practitioners.

There are essential qualities that Hillside House Nursery Staff must have, for which there are no certificates: a love of children, patience, warmth, kindness and of course they must be lively and interesting to the children.

Partnership with Parents

We understand that we can never know a child in the same way as their parents do. This is where we can build up our unique partnership with parents, supporting and guiding each other. We aim to build up strong relationships with all parents from the very first meeting, and communicate well though day to day discussions. There will be parent's evenings for children aged 3 and 4, and we hold an annual open evening that aims to share the learning environment and how we deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage

Quality Awards

Hillside House Nursery has achieved a number of government quality awards over the years. The awards are a useful tool to support the settings continuous improvement strategies. They enable the whole staff team to reflect on best practice and how we as a setting can provide outstanding outcomes for the children and families in our care. Hillside House Nursery is always at the forefront of any new local or national government initiatives that improve quality. The setting has also created it's own unique reflection system that ensures practice is continuously reviewed and revised, ensuring the highest standards are maintained.

Ofsted:

Learning Through Play!

Indoor Facilities

The Nursery is a purpose built annexe to the main house. There are four main play rooms with all the latest play and learning equipment to cater for children aged birth to five years old. The environment reflects our strong commitment to learning through play. The nursery has created a very homely, accessible and welcoming atmosphere with areas for children to rest and relax, and areas that children can explore and experiment at their own pace.

Outdoor Facilities

We understand that modern family life can be very busy! It is not always possible to take children out for a walk or to the park as often as you would like. Hillside House Nursery is an outdoor haven for children. The setting is set in a beautiful rural location in Shropshire. You can feel happy that your child is getting plenty of fresh air throughout their day at Hillside House Nursery. We have seen the benefits to the children's health and wellbeing and how learning can be enhanced greatly by using our outside 'classrooms'. We provide a range of outdoor play equipment that the children can access simultaneously throughout the day.

We also have full access from our back gardens to fields, forests, allotments and farmland. All walks outside the nursery grounds are fully risk assessed. Practitioners incorporate the outside facilities into the long, medium and short term planning for every room.

Health & Safety

Please let us know of any health problems that your child may have, so we can make any necessary arrangements for them. If your child should have an accident or fall ill during their time at nursery, there will always be a first-aid qualified member of staff to hand who will be able to care for your child until further expertise is available. All accidents and reportable illnesses will be recorded and filed accordingly. You will be informed immediately of anything serious, and on arrival you will be asked to read and sign an accident form detailing exactly what happened. We have comprehensive security, fire, health and safety and safeguarding policies in place, so please feel free to request them. Please be assured that your child's health and safety is of paramount importance to us.

Examples of our outdoor play include:

Daily traditional outdoor games such as 'What's the time Mr. Wolf?'

Nature Walks and collections

Sports Days

Planting & Growing

Treasure Hunts

Outside arts and crafts

Healthy & Nutritious Food

We serve quality, homemade and nutritious food to the children in our care. All meals are freshly prepared by our nursery cook, on site, every day. We understand the importance of diet for children's overall health and well being. Our menus are designed to contain the correct balance of the various food groups that are important for healthy growth and well being . We also cater for any special dietary requirements that the children may have including food allergies and intolerances.